EARS
.—As the ears constitute much of the beauty of a horse, according as they are well or ill shaped, so from their situation, they are sure to become early objects of observation. If they are small, soft, and fine, curving inward in a small degree at the point, perfectly erect, and spirited in action, they give the animal a very noble, majestic, and commanding aspect: on the contrary, when a horse points his ears forwards, he bears the appearance of looking eternally for mischief, and always preparing to start at every object he meets, which is no very pleasant sensation to the rider. Horses of this description are seldom remarkable for the safety of their eyes; a purchaser cannot be too circumspect in his examination before he makes him an acquisition. Horses having coarse, long, foul ears, set on too low, and hanging down on the sides, are called mule or lop eared horses; and if of good form in other respects, and of some value, they are in general cropped to improve their appearance. The greater part of the racing stock of old Herod, one of the best stallions ever bred in England, were foul, long, and wide in their ears, which is to be seen in almost the whole of their progeny.
Pain in the ear of a horse is discoverable immediately by its flaccidity, and painful deprivation of erection. The ear lays nearly flat either one way or another; the horse is almost every minute giving violent shakes of his head, which he as constantly leaves hanging down on the side affected; from which circumstances alone the seat of pain may with certainty be ascertained. Pains in the ear may arise from various causes, as colds, blows, the insinuation of, or sting from, forest flies, bees, wasps, or hornets. If the first is known to be the cause, the stimulus excited by mildly rubbing the inside with the half of a newly divided onion, will soon relieve the pain. If from a blow, rubbing the ear inside and out with two table-spoons full of camphorated spirits, mixed with two tea-spoons full of extract of saturn, will relieve. If from a sting, a plentiful impregnation of fine olive oil, to give the skin the power of expansion, will be right in the moment of increasing inflammation; after which, the swelling may be allayed with common white wine vinegar, verjuice, or strong vegeto mineral water.
Trimming the EARS on the inside is a very common practice, and adds considerably to the neatness and cleanliness of the head and appearance; but care should be taken never to let it be done during rainy weather, sharp and severe winds, or in the winter season; dreadful colds, as well as dangerous diseases, have often been produced by these means, without knowing from what cause the ill effect has been derived. The operation of trimming should be performed in warm, open, mild weather, and with SCISSARS in preference to the flame of a candle; which, with the additional use of the twitch, only serves to put the poor animal to a double degree of unnecessary misery. After the ears are trimmed, they may be rubbed over the inside with a small quantity of fresh butter, or a piece of fine linen impregnated with olive oil, both of which are excellent preventives to cold after the operation.